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Somatic Spinal Reflexes

Somatic Spinal Reflexes

Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...

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Muscle Velocity Recovery Cycles to Examine Muscle Membrane Properties

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Cervical paraspinal electromyography: normal values in 100 control subjects.

R Gilad¹, R Dabby, M Boaz

¹Department of Neurology, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. gilad-ar@zahav.net.il

Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society

|December 5, 2006

Summary

Normal electromyographic values for cervical paraspinal muscles were established in 100 volunteers. Spontaneous activity, like fibrillations, is common in older adults but may lack diagnostic value for isolated findings.

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Area of Science:

Neurology
Electromyography
Musculoskeletal Research

Background:

Limited research exists on normal electromyographic values and spontaneous activity in cervical paraspinal muscles.
Establishing reference values is crucial for accurate electrodiagnostic assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine reference values for muscle unit potential (MUP) in cervical paraspinal muscles.
To investigate the prevalence and significance of spontaneous activity in these muscles across different age groups.

Main Methods:

Electromyographic examination of 100 healthy volunteers.
Automated MUP analysis program used to analyze spontaneous activity and 20 MUPs per individual.
Participants categorized into age groups: 20-40, 40-60, and 60+ years.

Main Results:

No spontaneous activity was observed in the 20-40 age group.
Fibrillations and/or positive sharp waves were detected in 8% of the 40-60 group and 92% of the 60+ group.
MUP values were comparable to upper limb muscles; age did not significantly affect MUPs except for increased mean amplitude in the 60-80 group.

Conclusions:

Isolated spontaneous activity in cervical paraspinal muscles of middle-aged and elderly individuals may have limited diagnostic value.
Extended electromyographic examination including other muscles is recommended to rule out radiculopathy.
The study provides valuable reference MUP values for automated analysis.